Of course, this inability for the French to write English is an urban myth.
Whilst our son was doing his year in La Belle France in Bescancon in the Jura we bought him a Renault Twingo to enable him to trip down to the Savoie to our 'appartement' overlooking Bourg St Maurice and l'Isere.
Oddly, I have a friend who was the Professor of English for ALL the teachers of English and JC and I shared many interests in doing up everything from Deux Chevaux to Hotchkiss and De Lahaye's.
It's an urban myth. 11 years ago my wife and I did what became the finale of the Italian Job on black ice over l'Isere and my wife ended up in the local hopital. Pas de Probleme. She got Cote du Rhone with every meal, I ended up with other Mountain Rescue friends.
I still have my 'Tele Peage' account on my Audi for the autoroutes. I still go under La Manche and into France. Stay the night in Bethune, go onto Haguenau and across the Rhine and on into Germany and then Austria..
In a few days time my son will go into 'Les Landes' presumably to buy another house. Bonne Chance- la bas?
Years ago, a mate of mine and myself did 'the Monte' , I've canoed 'Sous le Pont D'Avignon', I have sailed and dived with 'Les Grenouiles'.
They haven't got Two heads or some 'sinistre' As for their ability to speak and write English, their business English is comparable with 'other foreigners'